1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to battery holders and more particularly to increased capacity battery holders.
2. Background Art
Devices requiring portable power sources typically have compartments for housing batteries, battery packs, or battery holders, the battery packs or battery holders having batteries therein. Energy supplied to the devices, and, thus, the time durations that the devices may perform, without battery replacement and/or battery recharging, is typically limited to the batteries that are capable of being incorporated into the compartments within the devices and the energy densities of the batteries.
Designers and users of the devices usually prefer the devices to be available for long time durations, with minimal recharging and minimal resultant down times. However, the users in many cases do not have any options, but to replace or to recharge the batteries, the battery holders, or the battery packs, during critical periods, as a result of insufficient battery capacity for the tasks at hand. This results in undesirable and unnecessary down times, the batteries, battery holders, or the battery packs limiting use of the devices to the energy stored in the batteries within the battery compartments, and operating the devices only for time durations allowed by the energy densities of the batteries and the volume restrictions of the compartments within the devices.
Removable batteries, battery packs, and battery holders may be carried or stored while not installed in the devices from time to time, giving rise to the possibility that the batteries may be inadvertently shorted or the intended polarity of one or more cells reversed, thus, damaging the devices, and/or the batteries, and/or creating other safety implications in which exposed cell contacts may be shorted or polarity reversed in potentially dangerous environments.
An increased capacity battery holder, which allows a device to be used for a longer time duration than can be achieved from solely internally contained batteries, without recharging, replacement of the batteries, or connection to an external power source, is necessary. The battery holder should be capable of providing additional energy to the device, beyond internal space and volume limitations of the device. The battery holder may have additional battery holding capacity external to the device, but any additional battery holding capacity should be self contained within the battery holder. The battery holder should be safe and easy to use, and provide maximum energy output, with minimal damage to the batteries, during use, installation, transportation, and storage. The battery holder should be lightweight, transportable, durable, sturdy, long lasting, easy to use and handle, a portion of the battery holder being matingly removably attachable thereto the device, and optionally removably lockable to the device. The battery holder should also be simple, effective, quickly and easily accessible, of simple construction, easy to install and remove therefrom the device, require no assembly or minimal assembly, act as an additional means for holding and/or handling the device, and should be capable of forming an integral assembly with the device one with the other. The battery holder should have means for preventing inadvertent shorting and/or reversing polarity of the batteries, and optionally recharging means for recharging the batteries.
Different battery holders, associated accessories, connection devices, and safety devices have heretofore been known. However, none of the battery holders, accessories, connection devices, and safety devices alone or in combination adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,857 (Kaneko) discloses a camera system including a camera, and an accessory to be secured to the camera, by means of a screw to an upper surface of the accessory and a threaded hole formed on a bottom surface of the camera. A portion of the accessory inserts thereinto the camera, and another portion of the accessory has a battery therein. At least first and second circuits are respectively provided in the camera and the accessory. First and second connectors, each of which are electrically connected to the first circuit, are provided on the bottom surface of the camera. The first and second connectors are arranged at opposite portions, with respect to the threaded holes on the bottom surface of the camera. Third and fourth connectors to be respectively connected to the first and second connectors are provided on the upper surface of the accessory. Each of the third and fourth connectors, which are electrically connected to the second circuit, are arranged at portions corresponding to the first and second connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,143 (Kawano) discloses an adapter for a camera, having a mounting device for detachably mounting the adapter to the bottom of a camera, a release switch, a release signal transmitting device for releasing a shutter of the camera, in accordance with the operation of the release switch, and a battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,514 (Johnson) discloses a camera having a recess in an exterior surface thereof and a battery assembly having mounting structure adapted to be slidably received by the recess, for attaching the battery assembly to the camera to provide a source of energy for operating various components of the camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,870 (Havener) discloses a battery compartment for use with an electrical device having a circuit, which is powered by one or more batteries. The electrical device has a housing for substantially housing the circuit and a surface with an aperture therethrough. Each battery has first and second terminals. The battery compartment includes a slidable drawer for insertion through the housing aperture and receipt of the battery, a plurality of connectors for electrical connection to the battery""s terminals, and a plurality of conductors to eclectically connect the connectors to the device""s circuit. The drawer is movable between an open position exposing at least a portion of interior of the drawer, and a closed position. Electrical connection of the batteries to the circuit is maintained, whether the door is in the open or closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,105 (Kawamura) discloses a video camera having a built-in secondary battery, a terminal used for connection with an external power source, and a main switch for controlling the supply of electric power to a circuit provided for a control system, and a signal processing system. The video camera is arranged, such that the circuit is connected to the built-in secondary battery or to the external power source, when the main switch is closed, and the built-in secondary battery can be connected to the external power source when the main switch is open.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,784,105 (4,409,645 Sloan) discloses a combination flashlight and auxiliary power pack, which accommodates spent instant photography film cartridges, and which includes a substantially flat battery. A battery and electrical carrier subassembly are accommodated within a housing, which serves as a covering shell, and does not have any of components of the device depending therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,777 (Garcia et al) discloses a latching mechanism for a removable cell battery pack. The latching mechanism includes a first member having a first catch, lateral catches, and a second member having a notch and lateral catches. In a first position, the first catch of the first member engages the notch of the second member. In a second position, the lateral catches of the first member engage the lateral catches of the second member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,682 (Nakao) discloses a battery case holding mechanism, comprising an engaging means for engaging a battery case, which is detachably inserted into a concave formed in a body of an electric apparatus, and is biased so as to be detached from the concave, and disengagement preventing means, which is actuated when the engaging means operates and engages the battery case temporarily, in order to prevent the case from springing out of the concave.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,031 (Iwashita et al.) discloses a connection arrangement for camera system components, which has a camera attachable to a motor drive unit and a flash unit. The camera, the motor drive, and the flash unit each have respective batteries therein. In the camera, a detector produces a first signal before wind-up of the camera is completed. An interconnection terminal receives a second signal from the flash unit, before charging of the flash unit is completed. A disabling arrangement prevents shutter release, as long as one of the first and second signals is sensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,235 (Clanton et al.) discloses a holder for a pair of cylindrical battery cells, including a carrier which retains the batteries in parallel side-by-side relationship and in series electrical connection. The cells are installed into a housing longitudinally, and the housing is formed with guide channels for guiding and substantially surrounding the cells. Contact elements are provided at the ends of the guide channels for electrically connecting the battery cells to circuitry. The contact elements, which are internal to the holder, are substantially inaccessible to a user, even when the carrier is removed from the housing, thus minimizing electric shock hazard to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,824 (Womack) discloses a battery holder of electrical non-conductive plastic, shorter than elongate batteries inserted therein, having an opening receiving the upper contact end of an elongate nickel-cadmium battery. A manually pressable release detent latching lever is pivotally mounted in the battery holder, and resiliently biased to the detent battery hold position. A cam surface on the detent is engaged at the top edge of the battery and case structure, and the detent is moved outwardly by the cam, as the battery assembly is inserted into the opening of the plastic battery holder, and then is snapped back into the detent hold state in the detent opening of the battery and the case assembly. A two path connection socket is provided with the battery holder and a resistor, contained within an upper chamber of the holder, for powering bulbs connected to the socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,639 (Bryant et al) discloses a battery cartridge, which holds a plurality of batteries for insertion into a battery cavity, comprising a housing, including first and second flexible holding members oppositely disposed with respect to one another on a first outer surface, the first and second holding members defining a cavity contoured to the shape of the batteries for receiving the batteries and securing thereto, a second inner surface having a recess formed therein, and a latching means coupled between the inner surface of the housing and a front cover portion and retractably extendable for engaging/disengaging slots positioned on a peripheral lip portion of the battery cavity for permitting insertion/ejection of the battery cartridge into/from the battery cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,962 (DeSorbo) discloses a battery pack connection adapter, including an adapter plate for electrical connection between a battery charger and battery pack. The adapter plate includes a partially conductive strip. The pattern of conductive material on the strip establishes a circuit between underlying electrical contact pins on either the charger or the battery pack, so as to render the charger compatible with and capable of charging the battery pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,470 (Land) discloses a battery operated camera having a handle thereon formed in part by an external battery. U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,362 (Dietz et al) discloses a battery operated camera having means for mounting an external battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,546 (Dulaney et al) discloses a battery compartment for portable electrical equipment, such as computers, tape recorders, VCR recorders, camera flash equipment and other such devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,440 (Hahs, Jr. et al) discloses a battery holder, which accommodates D-cell batteries, and is suitable for substitution of conventional lantern batteries therewith. U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,644 (Okada et al) discloses a battery pack, capable of replacing a plurality of primary or secondary batteries, having at least one battery body, a battery holder that houses the battery body, and a pair of positive and negative terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,491 (Carducci et al) discloses a camera frame assembly having a standby battery station. U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,277 (Goto et al) discloses a battery pack having a first battery and a second battery arranged separately from the first battery. U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,767 (Small, et al) discloses a rechargeable battery pack charging system with redundant safety systems.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an increased capacity battery holder, which allows a device to be used for a longer time duration than can be achieved from solely internally contained batteries, without recharging, replacement of the batteries, or connection to an external power source. The battery holder should be capable of providing additional energy to the device, beyond internal space and volume limitations of the device. The battery holder may have additional battery holding capacity external to the device, but any additional battery holding capacity should be self contained within the battery holder. The battery holder should be safe and easy to use, and provide maximum energy output, with minimal damage to the batteries, during use, installation, transportation, and storage. The battery holder should be lightweight, transportable, durable, sturdy, long lasting, easy to use and handle, a portion of the battery holder being matingly removably attachable thereto the device, and optionally removably lockable to the device. The battery holder should also be simple, effective, quickly and easily accessible, of simple construction, easy to install and remove therefrom the device, require no assembly or minimal assembly, act as an additional means for holding and/or handling the device, and should be capable of forming an integral assembly with the device one with the other. The battery holder should have means for preventing inadvertent shorting and/or reversing polarity of the batteries, and optionally recharging means for recharging the batteries.
The present invention is directed to an increased capacity battery holder, which allows a device to be used for a longer time duration than can be achieved from solely internally contained batteries, without recharging, replacement of the batteries, or connection to an external power source. The battery holder is capable of providing additional energy to the device, beyond internal space and volume limitations of the device. The battery holder has additional battery holding capacity external to the device, with the additional battery holding capacity self contained within the battery holder. The battery holder is safe and easy to use, and provides maximum energy output, with minimal damage to the batteries, during use, installation, transportation, and storage. The battery holder is lightweight, transportable, durable, sturdy, long lasting, easy to use and handle, a portion of the battery holder being matingly removably attachable thereto the device, and optionally removably lockable to the device. The battery holder is also simple, effective, quickly and easily accessible, of simple construction, easy to install and remove therefrom the device, requiring no assembly or minimal assembly, acts as an additional means for holding and/or handling the device, and is capable of forming an integral assembly with the device one with the other. The battery holder has means for preventing inadvertent shorting and/or reversing polarity of the batteries, and optionally recharging means for recharging the batteries.
A battery holder having features of the present invention comprises: a battery pack adapted to be interiorly disposed therein a device; a battery pack adapted to be exteriorly disposed thereto the device; a base adjoining the interiorly disposed battery pack and the exteriorly disposed battery pack; the interiorly disposed battery pack and the exteriorly disposed pack having a gap therebetween and being substantially parallel one to the other.